professor

noun

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfe-sər 

1

: one that professes, avows, or declares

2

a

: a faculty member of the highest academic rank at an institution of higher education

b

: a teacher at a university, college, or sometimes secondary school

c

: one that teaches or professes special knowledge of an art, sport, or occupation requiring skill

professorship

prə-ˈfe-sər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of professor in a Sentence

Professor Williams will be teaching the class.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet about half of men now live into their 80s, and those who are wealthier and better-educated tend to live the longest said Steven Austad, a professor at The University of Alabama at Birmingham who is an expert on aging. —Zac Anderson, USA Today, 7 June 2026

For the last seven years, McNealy has served as the historic content expert for the Civil Rights Institute while also working as the department chair of history at Arthur Harold Parker High School and a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

And Buffy is enrolled in Sunnydale’s local college, preoccupied with a hot new (human) boyfriend and her brilliant psychology professor. —ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026

Some teens have deep concerns about AI’s environmental footprint, explains Jeff Temple, PhD, professor and psychologist at UTHealth Houston. —Staff Author, Parents, 7 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing professor

• assistant professor
• associate professor
• regius professor

Rhymes for professor

• aggressor
• assessor
• compressor
• confessor
• depressor
• hairdresser
• necessar
• oppressor
• possessor
• processor
• repressor
• successor

Kids Definition

professor

noun

pro·​fes·​sor prə-ˈfes-ər 

: a teacher especially of the highest rank at a college or university

professorial

ˌprō-fə-ˈsōr-ē-əl 

ˌpräf-ə-, 

-ˈsȯr-

adjective

professorially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb